Every month, you pay your mortgage. And, depending on your circumstances, you may be able to afford to put in additional payments – perhaps sizable ones. But should you? Or, if you really have the extra money, should you invest it?

Initially, you might think it would be quite nice to rid yourself of that mortgage sooner, rather than later. But is it really the burden it seems?

Actually, you get some real benefits from a mortgage. It certainly provides something of great value to you – your home. If you got your mortgage – or refinanced your home – within the past decade or so, you are borrowing money at a pretty favorable interest rate, by historical standards.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The National Labor Relations Board will hear three cases against Berkshire Medical Center. The local chapter of the Massachusetts Nurses Association had filed a handful of unfair labor relations complaints with the hospital over contract negotiations. The labor board has now determined that three of them have enough merit to be heard. "We have been trying to negotiate a fair contract that ensures high-quality patient care since October 2016," said Alex Neary, co-chair of the nursing union's local bargaining committee. "These National Labor Relations Board findings show that while we have been negotiating in good faith,

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is planning to increase Charlie Card fares and reduce routes because of proposed budget cuts at the state level that has created a nearly $400,000 deficit. The BRTA, the main public transportation unit serving the Berkshires, is facing an operational budget deficit of $378,400 for the upcoming fiscal year. Transit officials statewide say $88 million is needed to properly fund RTAs after four years of nearly level funding. The proposed options for the Fixed Route bus service would be to: discontinue the 4:30 p.m. trip on Bus Route 21 Express; eliminate Bus Route 3S, adding demand stops on Bus Route 3 to

Steepleview Realty is celebrating 20 years in business. Owner Jennifer Segala opened the real estate company on April 1, 1998, in Adams. The first office was located at One Commercial Place; within the first year of business, Segala purchased the building at 63 Park St., where the flagship office remains today.

As the business became more successful, Segala expanded to include offices in North Adams and Pittsfield. In 2015, longtime sales associate Deb Trzcinski became a partner with Segala and now owns and operates the business on a daily basis with her.

Many agents have been with Steepleview from the beginning, including Pauline Green , Ruth Goyette and Christine

Pittsfield Community Television has completes its anuagural PSA Days production event. In a four-day production marathon, PCTV completed 29 individual television Public Service Announcements as a gifted service to the participating nonprofit organizations.

Over the course of two months, PCTV worked with each of the 29 nonprofits to create a PSA tailored to each organization’s media needs and message. These videos are already being utilized in a multitude of applications such as fundraising and outreach. With the high cost of media production, many of these organizations had not been able to achieve their outreach goals and thus, the objective of PCTV creating an

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transition Authority is looking into being part of the creation of a transportation management association for ride sharing. The BRTA's hours of operation limit the authority's ability to get workers to and from work beyond the typical first shift. This new group would be a collective of employers who would team up to provide rideshare options. Companies would be able to pay to be part of the nonprofit to provide the transportation for their workers and other groups that may have vans can contract with the TMA to provide the rides. "It is in the works right now that they are looking to do that," said

The waxwings have a distinctive mask and feathers that look like they have been dipped in paint. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Low and behold on Palm Sunday, there was a feeding flock of showy cedar waxwings feasting on weather-worn crabapples in the First Congregational churchyard here in North Adams. What a delightful sight to behold: a finest, kind choice by the forerunners who landscaped the churchyard with several crabapple trees that bloom a profuse pink and white cavalcade of blossoms in early spring. In addition to the beautiful bloom, the crabapple trees produce succulent fruit that serves the avian fauna, yielding nutritious energy for sustaining

It has been a tough month for stocks and February wasn't much better. Granted, it was a small price to pay for last year's great gains, but, as in life, all good things must come to an end. Will April bring more of the same for us or can we hope for something better? Much depends on White House initiatives, "Spanky's" (the President's new nickname) tweets, and the world's response to the administration's trade war initiatives. None of the above is certain, and, as readers know by now, the markets hate uncertainty. This quarter, both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Indexes have seen a nine-quarter win streak come to an end. As of this

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Greylock Federal Credit Union has announced the promotions of Jean Noel, assistant vice president/branch manager in North Adams, Stephanie Carlson, branch manager in Great Barrington, and Joe Maffuccio, branch manager at Kellogg Street, Pittsfield, to the position of market manager.

The new position assigns each market manager responsibility for the branch they currently manage as well as other branches within their market area.

"Greylock has established this new market manager position to achieve even higher levels of member service, create management efficiencies, and better serve our expanding membership and future growth," said Peter Mirante,

The Bessie Award-winning choreographer, director and alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow joins a group of honorees that includes Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar of Big Dance Theater, Kyle Abraham of Abraham.in.Motion, Michelle Dorrance of Dorrance Dance, Camille A. Brown of Camille A. Brown & Dancers, and Liz Lerman of Dance Exchange.

The award will be formally presented as part of the Jacob’s Pillow Season Opening Gala on June 16, followed by the presentation of

This scholarship honors Margaret A. Hart, Class of 1935, the first student of color to graduate from the former State Teachers College at North Adams. Her distinguished career in teaching and community service spanned more than five decades. The award is in recognition of Hart's outstanding contributions to the College and to Berkshire County.

A resident of Berkshire County for the past 16 years, White is a transfer student from Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. She is completing her undergraduate degree in biology at

The Department of Labor's fiduciary rule looks "iffy" at best, thanks to a March court ruling. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals says the agency exceeded its authority in insisting that financial services firms act as fiduciaries when giving advice to most tax-deferred savings accounts. However, some financial advisers are ignoring the courts and are going the extra mile for their clients anyway. Over the last couple of years, I have written several columns on this issue. A "fiduciary" is someone who puts your best interests above his own and that of his company's. It is a concept that the financial community does not want to see implemented and has gone to